THE OKLAHOMA BAR JOURNAL 82 | NOVEMBER 2025 Oklahoma Bar Foundation News CHILDREN NAVIGATING abuse, neglect or instability often have little opportunity to ensure their voices are heard in legal proceedings. The Oklahoma Bar Foundation recognizes this profound gap and directs significant grant support to organizations that fill this role. Whether it is a volunteer advocate speaking for a child in court or a child advocacy center providing safety and healing, OBF funding ensures that children in crisis are not alone. Across Oklahoma, multiple life-changing grantees focus on providing children with legal representation, care and stability during their most challenging moments. Their work is an essential extension of the legal system, providing services and insights that would otherwise go unheard. CANADIAN COUNTY CASA: ADVOCACY IN THE COURTROOM CASA programs across the state recruit and train volunteers to speak for children involved in the foster care system. Canadian County CASA, supported by the OBF, ensures that children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect have someone focused solely on their best interests. Volunteers meet regularly with children, attend school conferences and provide judges with fact-based recommendations that inform life-altering decisions about safety, placement and permanency. The Canadian County CASA team emphasizes that OBF funding sustains training and supervision for these advocates, equipping them to provide consistent support. Judges rely on CASA reports because they reflect the child’s voice directly, which is an element that might otherwise be missing in the legal process. THE CARE CENTER: A SAFE PLACE TO SPEAK In Oklahoma County, The CARE Center provides a safe environment for children who must disclose their stories for use in legal proceedings. Forensic interview specialists, supported in part by OBF funding, meet with children in a child-friendly environment designed to reduce fear and trauma. These interviews are structured so that children tell their stories once, eliminating the need to relive painful experiences in multiple settings. By Renee DeMoss OBF: Advocating for Oklahoma's Most Vulnerable Youth THE STRATEGIC CONNECTION Findings from the 2024-2025 OBF Legal Needs Survey reinforce the importance of child advocacy programs: 47% of responding attorneys statewide identified family law matters as an unmet legal need. One of the most significant barriers is the lack of affordable legal services. 47% of respondents said this is a high barrier. These financial/legal access obstacles disproportionately affect families and children in crisis. 50% of respondents believe adults and youth are not very aware of their legal rights and responsibilities. Access the full survey report at https://bit.ly/48H0DIY.
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